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An Open Letter to the Youth of India

Author: Suresh Elangovan
CEO and Managing Director, Mindlogicx.
My dear friend!

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and trampled into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But disregard of what has happened or what will happen you will never lose your value. You are special and don’t ever forget this. Never let yesterday’s disappointments overshadow tomorrow’s dreams.

A Dream for Every One

Every one of you have a dream in your life. It’s normally a dream that needs nourishment all the time and a dream that you would like to live to relish. But sometimes your dreams slip by you, as you watch helplessly and it becomes an unfinished agenda in your life. Then it becomes one among the hundreds of thousands of dreams that are difficult for many of us to realize. When you don’t realize your dream, you tend to think that destiny has played in your life. You reconcile yourself with what is called fate and think you are a child of destiny. It all started with the belief that you are a typical child of destiny and started believing that you are indeed God’s child, programmed to-be-so and to-do-so. But the fact is different. You are here by choice. Not by design of destiny that has programmed you to be.

Do You Remember Those Days?

It has been many years since you last saw the beginnings and ends of academic sessions, semesters, and holidays. Do you remember those days in your college when you played tricks to bunk classes of the physics professor and the ‘reason’ to attend the classes of lecturer Latika. Do you still remember the days when you struggled to get some pocket money, enjoy eating the canteen food (have you ever measured the viscosity of the dhal supplied?), drinking ‘bi-two’ tea during the month end, going triples in your friend’s bike and not having the money to pay the fines to traffic cops (do you still call them uncles?), dreaming about the next door girl (is she still going to college with her father?), and finally thinking about your own future too?

You must have had the first crush while at school. The ‘special some one’ would have been your neighborhood beauty or your classmate or schoolmate or some one you met in your uncle’s party. You must have felt that the person was awesome. You must have liked the way your ‘special some one’ dressed, walked, and smiled at you. Then, again, you must have fallen in love with ‘some other special one’ in your life and thought you had found everlasting love. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Living with shattered dreams could do more damage than chain smoking (statutory warning), and of course not a nice feeling one could carry on with. But as the saying goes, life always gives you a second chance and one has to be an optimist always.

Evolution of ‘You’ in the ‘Youniverse’

At the age of five, your parents must have told you that you would become an engineer or doctor (because they liked the idea of their ward carrying a T-square or wearing a stethoscope around the neck - thanks to the many films they had seen); at 10 your uncle must have told you to study a foreign language; at 15 you must have decided to become a cricketer (because, it’s always nice to be famous and have lots of money, shoot for ad films, and party with the latest Bollywood stars, leave alone batting for India); and may be now you have realized that you should become a professional (whatever it takes to be). When you move forward and enter yet another year, you will realize that the dreams have faded away into mere memories while reality takes you forward. You certainly need someone to handhold you, mentor you, and put you on track. You need someone to administer the right treatment to make you a successful breed. In short, can we say you need some ‘uncle’ to help you realize your dreams or goals? But then who is this person and where on earth you can find him? The right way is to be yourself in the ’youniverse’ where every one wants you to be some one else and make the difference to be noticed and earn some recognition. You need to create a space for yourself in the ‘youniverse’ to become successful and I am sure the uncle will be glad to help you do so. A word of caution though, don’t try to impress a girl with the uncle’s riches, or else one day she might become your aunty.

So What are You Looking for?

So you must be wondering as to what are you supposed to do now? You are here, as I said earlier, by choice and not by design. You must now make the right choice and the right move by equipping yourself to be industry-ready. I am sure that you would know by now that you don’t get a second chance to make the first impression.

Have you ever thought about your future? A future that can give you a life filled with joy and a sense of fulfillment? Do you wish to carry forward and cherish all your dreams? Do you think that you ‘can do it’ in your life, or that you have to make compromises just because you are not going to get the immunity as a student any more and will have to face the cruel world? Did your father say that he too faced a cruel world and worked hard to bring you up? Don’t you think that you should break the shackles and break free and realize all your dreams? Don’t you think you should have the liberty to play your game in your own style, in your own pace, and on your own terms? All set in your ‘youniverse’, specially created for you.

How do you think you can do this? How can you bridge the gap between your long cherished dreams and your life? While you had seen the best of your college life, you should also get to know about your future that can possibly fulfill your dreams. Secure your future by making yourself ‘employable’ or ‘self employable’. Use the power of technology to achieve your personal aims and professional goals.

Be a Part of Knowledge Society

For fifty years we have been a developing nation; it is time we saw ourselves as a developed nation. We are among the top five nations of the world in terms of GDP. We have a growth rate of 10 percent in most areas. Our poverty levels are falling and our achievements are being globally recognized and appreciated today. India must stand up to the World; unless India stands up to the world, no one will respect us as a nation - only strength respects strength. We must be strong, not only as a military power, but also as an economic power. This is our vision, and it can be none other than transforming India into a developed nation. The government alone cannot achieve this vision and we need a people’s movement in the country; and this is the time to ignite the minds of people to join this movement. We must all share this vision and deliver knowledge to the needy using innovative technologies. We must be committed to propel the national economy through a knowledge based eco system.

Our former president Abdul Kalam rightly said, “Ignited minds of the youth are the greatest resource compared to any resource of the earth, under the earth, and above the earth. When ignited minds work and perform with an indomitable spirit, a prosperous, happy, and safe India is assured.”

Powering India’s Knowledge Competency

With India’s seemingly endless flow of young and motivated engineers, scientists, and business managers offering world-class skills in almost every area of global business, we are emerging as the next ‘superpower’. It is heartening to note that we are poised for an explosive growth and are heralded as a potential economic superpower by 2020. But are we in a position to really live up to this expectation or will it just end up as a hollow hype? With many multi-national companies setting up operations in India, there is a sudden demand for skilled workforce in retail and the IT enabled services like BPO and KPO. There is a requirement of human potential to handle high volume business. To enable this we must adopt to smart technology assisted learning system and create a knowledge based eco system that can convert the erstwhile weakness (over population) into an opportunity (human resource based) by providing various reskilling and upskilling programs to the needy in association with experts in particular domains. There is a great demand for skilled professionals while the supply is low. Our universities are unable to bridge the gap and provide skilled manpower that the industries are looking for and hence there is a greater demand for adoption of technology to deliver knowledge on-demand.

Experts opine that there must be a skills based pedagogy built into our educational system to provide various means of reskilling or upskilling to the students in the science, commerce, engineering, and management disciplines and make them employable or job ready. These courses are more like vocational programs and they should be able to enhance the skills of students in order to make them ‘employable’ or ‘self employable’ or enable them to transform themselves from being job seekers to job providers. Our target should be the millions of graduates like you who have the energy to make this mission a reality. What is needed is the ‘hand holding’, a mentoring process by which we can make you become ‘job ready’. The focus should be to convert the human population into human potential and make one employable in the areas of his or her expertise.

What Next?

Do you know that the greatest distance between two people, the toughest communication between two hearts, and the longest journey between two places are ‘between you and your employer’? A dedicated approach towards life is absolutely essential for you to reach the stars. There is nothing impossible if you can believe in your dreams and work towards it. Your dreams should float impatiently in your mind till you reach your goal.

I sincerely believe that the dreams of one billion Indians can’t go wrong. You are one among them; don’t let your dream go wrong. We are here to incubate your dreams.

With sincere wishes for a successful tomorrow.

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Reader's comments(11)
1: From: Mrs. Mary David

This mail may be a surprise to you because you did not give me the permission to do so and neither do you know me but before I tell you about myself I want you to please forgive me for sending this mail without your permission. I am writing this letter in confidence believing that if it is the will of God for you to help me and my family, God almighty will bless and reward you abundantly. I need an honest and trust worthy person like you to entrust this huge transfer project unto.

My name is Mrs. Mary David, The Branch Manager of a Financial Institution. I am a Ghanaian married with 3 kids. I am writing to solicit your assistance in the transfer of US$7,500,000.00 Dollars. This fund is the excess of what my branch in which I am the manager made as profit last year (i.e. 2010 financial year). I have already submitted an annual report for that year to my head office in Accra-Ghana as I have watched with keen interest as they will never know of this excess. I have since, placed this amount of US$7,500,000.00 Dollars on an Escrow Coded account without a beneficiary (Anonymous) to avoid trace.

As an officer of the bank, I cannot be directly connected to this money thus I am impelled to request for your assistance to receive this money into your bank account on my behalf. I agree that 40% of this money will be for you as a foreign partner, in respect to the provision of a foreign account, and 60% would be for me. I do need to stress that there are practically no risk involved in this. It's going to be a bank-to-bank transfer. All I need from you is to stand as the original depositor of this fund so that the fund can be transferred to your account.

If you accept this offer, I will appreciate your timely response to me. This is why and only reason why I contacted you, I am willing to go into partnership investment with you owing to your wealth of experience, So please if you are interested to assist on this venture kindly contact me back for a brief discussion on how to proceed.

All correspondence must be via my private E-mail (dmary4love1@yahoo.fr) for obvious security reasons.

Best regards,
Mrs. Mary David.
Posted by: mary lovely david - Monday 26th, September 2011
2: Hi my dear,
My name is Mounace, i would like to establish a true relationship with you in one love. please send email to me at (mounace43@yahoo.com) i will reply to you with my picture and tell you more about myself. thanks and remain blessed for me,
Your new friend Mounace
Posted by: mounace love love - Thursday 09th, June 2011
3: Yes Sir.That was a friendly approach from your side towards the young and ambitious.I still remember an offer from your firm which I couldnot make as I was not able to reach your office in bangalore loacted towards tumkur,if i am not mistaken.I am quite worried about the Government sector jobs being sold out for money.We had a trust on the PSC and other Government sector jobs.Even that is being sabotaged.What are these ppl showing our young generation?Is this the model and morals they have to follow?Its pathetic
Posted by: Sri sai - Wednesday 15th, December 2010
4: I do not know, how to thank you for your great article. It is going to help me in many ways and hundreds of others like me. I will pray for you. Please do not stop writing your thinking. Sometime, I feel disappointment when I see some people dividing other persons in the name of religion, cast, language and areas. But, these things will not be hindrance if the majority of the nation think, in the way you have written, thanks again and salam.
Posted by: Rizwan khan - Monday 17th, May 2010
5: Dear Suresh Elangovan
I am really motivated to have a powerful dream which can be agenda or actionplan for being resourceful through the work. Yes to be a child of God is a previlege and to get chance to lend support in His initiative for us to be wise and undertanding is a design meant to take great path. Let us have a dream which is fulfilling and being in that scheme the most luminating aspects towards perfect ordain of a dream. I wish for you to continue in the position for being a source of inspiration to others who have not realized the power of dream. There is chance to admire and appreciate good actions, however, a fabricated design may not be? The gap has to be bridged by participation, better relationship and mature in thought and action. The belief in spirit of honest and effortful duty, may take mind to thing positively rather logically. As in the former there is hope for consistency, while in the latter it is for deliverance. Again there is a gap. I think it is a method to feel perfection. Otherwise to do there is still learning and building on knowledge. Now the technology and the treatment, the familarity and despiration and the wherewithal and reach (affordability). This concept has to be understood and be contented to serve the dream beginners and anticipators. Think great from their achievements and big by their excellence. This is what I could do when I went through the message for the billion Indians. There is chance to imrove on this but am compelled to write simple and concise. Thanks

Rajesh Kaul
Posted by: Rajesh Kumar Kaul - Wednesday 09th, December 2009
6: Dear Sir,
Best ever article I have seen in siliconindia. Useful, motivate everyone and put the million minds into right direction. Probably we Indians need these kinds of messages very often. It’s the habit of our youth that they read, heard and never put into practice. Discuss this matter for couple of days and waiting for the things to happen. They need great motivators on day to day basis, until many of us develop this mind set and encourage the people around to do the same. I remember this say “If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it” – Margaret Fuller

Thanks
Shiva
Posted by: shiva shankar - Tuesday 01st, December 2009
7: Dear Suresh,
The point you raised reg upskilling the youth to cater to knowledge era is vital But is the student of today whos going to be deployable in next 5 to 10 years realizing this ? Are they ready to come out of Stethoscopes and Ts?
Are they really capable of realizing dreams or they live only with dreams?
Salil Bhatia
Posted by: salil bhatia - Monday 30th, November 2009
8: Dear Mr Elangovan,
After going through your wirte up,it seems that you have really monitored each and every second of your life till now,what a great encouragement,I as a manager of a division in the tourism industry in the South Pacific Islands was very delighted to read your write up,and personally read it to my staffs who were very impressed.Once again thank you very much,though our ancestors left India in 1800,we still feel part of it ,especially when something like you have written comes up.God bless India and the people of India.
Posted by: daniel jai prakash - Wednesday 25th, November 2009
9: Dear Suresh Elangovan,
This article is talking about the real truth. We have dream, one million people dream cannot go wrong. I agree. I am a young entrepreneur running my own software company "www.perfeitosoftware.com". My dream also pretty much match your concept, but In India, we have been looking many successful companies as service provider not an real company. We are selling our knowledge as service. All MNC coming to India to utilize our knowledge as labor to improve their business. I am thinking slowly we should change this soon. I can see it is started happening now but it has to be ignited aggressively.
Each and every entrepreneur in India should polish their objective to not only be top service provider to others nation. It has to turn upside down. I dreaming and awaiting for a day where “1 INR=47 USD”. I am sure...it is straight challenge from India to developed nation. I am sure we will be there before our generation leave from the earth!

Posted by: padmanaban rajendhiran - Sunday 22nd, November 2009
10: A very encouraging and inspiring one.
Posted by: subhash kumar sharma - Wednesday 18th, November 2009
11: The advise to Indian Youth by Mr.Suresh Elongovan is timely.

The concept of participation can easily become little more than a rhetorical device based on the feel good factor. Indeed a major criticism by young people is that participatory structures where they exist are tokenistic a rubber stamping experience for decisions which have already been made. This may be one of the reasons why they have tuned out.
Youth participation is more than just a political engagement. It includes the empowerment of young people through capacity building and increased access to human development opportunities. It represents a situation in which young people are no longer seen as passive recipients of resources or as the cause of society s ills but rather as vital contributors to their national development contributors whose efforts are acknowledged and whose involvement is encouraged.
Effective youth participation requires fundamental changes in the way society perceives young people. In order to introduce such changes it is necessary to provide adequate funding, introduce innovative ways of spreading information, provide training to facilitate intergenerational collaboration and create organizational structures that welcome new voices. Strategies for youth participation must move away from ad hoc activity-based approaches and focus instead on making youth input a central component of social structures, institutions and processes.
While the importance of participation and its role in a young person s life has not diminished its nature has changed. Youth participation today tends to be issue-specific and service-oriented. Increasingly reluctant to join formal organizations or councils many young people prefer to take advantage of open opportunities created by communities and institutions to become involved in addressing the issues that concern them. In line with this trend new participatory structures have evolved and they tend to be based on collaborative networks and common interests. To ensure that effective participation is an option for all young people concrete efforts must be made to address obstacles such as cultural norms that favour hierarchical relationships economic circumstances that preclude participation in anything other than income generating activities and the lack of access to the information and skills necessary for active political involvement.
What young people need is an enabling environment that provides opportunities for them to be seen and heard. Giving youth greater visibility and a role in the development process strengthens their resolve to contribute to the advancement of a world in which they are equal stakeholders a world for which they will be responsible for many decades to come.
Very often youth are principally regarded as adults in the making the emphasis is on becoming rather than being. But young men and women are not just our future they are also our present.
Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellore (AP)


Posted by: Anumakonda Jagadeesh - Thursday 12th, November 2009
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